PHOTO: Okafor (80) sacks Vaz (14) in the first half of the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29, 2012.

Alex Okafor, a natural defensive end, proved his flexibility by playing a season at tackle for the Longhorns in 2010.

Photo By Kin Man Hui/Express-News

Texas head coach Mack Brown hugs player Alex Okafor (80) after the Longhorns stopped the Oregon State offense late in the fourth quarter in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Texas won, 31-27.

Photo By Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein (7) is chased by Texas defenders Josh Turner (25), Kenny Vaccaro (4), Steve Edmond (33) and Alex Okafor (80) during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk, left, tries to get past Texas defensive end Alex Okafor in the first quarter at Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, October 20, 2012. (Jay Janner/American-Statesman/MCT)

Longhorn defender Alex Okafor pressures Geno Smith and knocks the ball loose to be recovered by teammates for a touchdown as Texas hosts West Virginia at Darrel K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on October 6, 2012. (San Antonio Express-News)

Texas defensive end Alex Okafor (80) brings down Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) following a short run in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Waco.

Photo By Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

Defensive end Alex Okafor #80 of the Texas Longhorns tackles running back Joseph Randle #1 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter on October 15, 2011 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Oklahoma State beat Texas 38-26.

Three years after Alex Okafor went against his parents' wishes and agreed to spend a season as a defensive tackle at UT, that experience in flexibility could help make him and his family a lot of money.

As he prepares for this week's NFL draft, he's once again being asked to move away from his natural position of defensive end. This time, pro scouts want to see if he can play outside linebacker. And just like when he was an eager-to-please college sophomore, Okafor's willingness to adapt is one of his most attractive features.

“I'm down for anything,” Okafor said. “I'm very versatile.”

As an end, the 6-foot-4, 264-pounder from Pflugerville was one of the best pass-rushers in college football. Although he performed admirably while giving the Longhorns much-needed depth at tackle in 2010, he really thrived when Manny Diaz replaced Muschamp as defensive coordinator and moved Okafor back outside.

As a senior last season, Okafor was a first-team All-Big 12 selection, racking up 16½ tackles for losses and 12½ sacks. The problem is not every NFL team runs the 4-3 defensive scheme that helped make him so effective.

Teams running 3-4 defenses would only be interested in Okafor if he can prove he can play outside linebacker. And he's spent the last several months trying to do exactly that.

“Alex is very unselfish,” said Brown, UT's coach. “He's a team guy. That's what makes him so valuable for an NFL team. He's got a lot of different options of where he can play.”

Okafor is projected by scouts to go as high as the second round in this week's draft, and his stock certainly hasn't been hurt by his final college game tape. Against Oregon State in the Valero Alamo Bowl, Okafor stood out as the best player on the field, finishing the Longhorns' 31-27 victory with a bowl-record 4½ sacks.

Even with the Beavers sending multiple blockers in his direction in the fourth quarter, Okafor couldn't be stopped. After dealing with a nagging ankle injury for a significant chunk of his senior season, his Alamo Bowl performance served as a reminder of just how disruptive he could be.

“All the dominos and chips fell into place,” Okafor said.

At UT's pro timing day last month, Okafor said his foray into the world of defensive tackles three years ago gives him confidence he can make a similar adjustment — only in the other direction — as a professional. Okafor said the two issues scouts have brought up with him the most are conditioning and body stiffness.